Urinary incontinence is a big issue for women. It affects over 25% of women at some stage of their life, so it is a very common problem.
Because of this over the past decade or so several new treatment options have been developed. Amongst these treatment options is surgery.
An overview of urinary incontinence surgery
There are several surgical options. In the past, the position of the bladder was adjusted to reduce pressure on the urethra by stitching the bladder into a new position. These operations are still performed, but it is more common for a surgeon to use a sling of some type to support the bladder.
Five main types of slings are used. They are TOT or Monarc surgery, re-adjustable sling surgery, the mini-sling, the needleless sling and TVT surgery.
Which procedure, if any, that your doctor recommends depends, in part, on what part of the world you live in, your age and the underlying cause of your incontinence. For the most part these surgeries are very successful. However, this kind of surgery is not something you should enter into lightly.
There have been reports of problems with this type of surgery, in particular, TVT surgery. Secure Law is a UK based law firm that specialises in medical practitioner cases. They have dealt with several cases where women have undergone TVT surgery and later reported issues.
Amongst the issues reported in the press is pain. The severity of this pain varies. Many women have no issues at all or just experience an occasional twinge. Unfortunately, some women experience far more pain than this. In fact, it can be almost constant and very debilitating.
For this reason, you need to think carefully before having your incontinence surgically treated. It is very important to consider the risks as well as the benefits.
